Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Mexico versus $842 in Guatemala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Mexico versus $1,334 in Guatemala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,777 in Mexico versus $1,826 in Guatemala.

Living in Mexico is roughly 50% more expensive than in Guatemala on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Mexico 8% lower, Guatemala 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$203

$7.94 Q 60.6

50.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.71 MX$793

$49.57 Q 378

-5.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 MX$173

$7.98 Q 60.9

27.32%

Cappuccino

$3.88 MX$65.9

$3.59 Q 27.40

8.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.90

$1.51 Q 11.49

4.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$18.79

$1.13 Q 8.64

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$49.56

$3.25 Q 24.83

-10.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MX$81.8

$5.22 Q 39.79

-7.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$30.11

$2.04 Q 15.53

-13.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$51.7

$3.09 Q 23.61

-1.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$32.82

$1.95 Q 14.84

-1.03%

Eggs

$2.69 MX$45.61

$2.49 Q 18.97

8.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 MX$166

$7.33 Q 55.9

33.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 MX$148

$10.13 Q 77.3

-14.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 MX$213

$12.08 Q 92.2

3.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 MX$53.0

$4.03 Q 30.78

-22.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$29.78

$2.26 Q 17.21

-22.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.73

$4.41 Q 33.64

-49.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$36.31

$1.70 Q 12.97

25.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.29

$1.83 Q 13.94

20.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.55

$2.24 Q 17.08

-6.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.00

$0.79 Q 6.05

93.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$20.83

$1.22 Q 9.27

0.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.72 MX$80.2

$3.83 Q 29.18

23.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 MX$196

$7.98 Q 60.9

44.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 MX$30.99

$2.35 Q 17.94

-22.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 MX$58.6

$3.08 Q 23.53

12.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$11.78

$1.65 Q 12.59

-58.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 MX$497

$14.13 Q 108

107.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 MX$48.83

$5.21 Q 39.75

-44.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 MX$48.73

$1.74 Q 13.28

64.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.76 MX$200

$10.53 Q 80.3

11.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.26

$1.18 Q 9.01

26.27%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.4K MX$381.1K

$21.3K Q 162.4K

5.43%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.1K MX$442.9K

$24.6K Q 187.8K

5.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$74.6 MX$1,267

$68.5 Q 522

8.95%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.21 MX$428

$33.49 Q 255

-24.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.40 MX$533

$53.0 Q 404

-40.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.89 MX$678

$43.03 Q 328

-7.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.08 MX$324

$15.76 Q 120

21.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.62 MX$95.4

$6.29 Q 47.98

-10.65%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$282 MX$4,787

$357 Q 2,721

-20.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,767 MX$114.9K

$7,656 Q 58.4K

-11.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 MX$1,027

$44.40 Q 339

36.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.67 MX$759

$50.5 Q 385

-11.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,782

$102 Q 780

2.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 MX$1,663

$114 Q 868

-13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 MX$13.0K

$861 Q 6,569

-11.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 MX$8,386

$545 Q 4,158

-9.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 MX$24.0K

$1,616 Q 12.3K

-12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 MX$16.2K

$910 Q 6,945

4.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 MX$45.8K

$2,285 Q 17.4K

17.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 MX$26.7K

$1,155 Q 8,807

36.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$835 MX$14.2K

$626 Q 4,773

33.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

11.62

-1.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico: August 31, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $672 in Mexico, $177 in Guatemala. Capital cities: $1,134 in Mexico City vs $828 in Guatemala City.

National salary averages: $784 in Mexico, $691 in Guatemala. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 280% higher in Mexico.

Public transport is 1200% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 13% higher in Mexico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Guatemala.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $677 per month in Guatemala and $1,836 in Mexico, there's a 171% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Guatemala: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Mexico is consistently higher than in Guatemala across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Guatemala, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Mexico it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Guatemala wins on affordability; Mexico may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.